Viewpoint: Dr. Upjohn's gift, and Pfizer, already part of the Kalamazoo community

Imagine my surprise when I learned from the Kalamazoo Gazette that my wife ceased to exist in 1986.

At least, that’s the conclusion I must draw were I to apply the Gazette’s argument in its March 7 editorial about the Upjohn trust.

In spite of a court ruling to the contrary, the Gazette argued the trust, which was established in Dr. W.E. Upjohn’s will in 1932 to fund an award honoring his employees, should be taken away from Pfizer Inc. because the subsequent mergers caused his company to disappear. It goes on to imply that if the trust belongs to Pfizer, then it is no longer part of the Kalamazoo community — despite the fact that the company employs thousands of area residents, has invested hundreds of millions of dollars locally and maintains one of its largest operations in the world here in Kalamazoo County.

So what does this have to do with my wife?

When Terri and I wed, she took my last name. That didn’t change who she is. She is still an individual. She still has legal, biological and emotional ties to her parents and extended family. Who she was before the wedding still exists physically and legally. The only change was the name on her driver’s license.

But following the Gazette’s logic, Terri ceased to exist the moment she said, “I do.” No longer should she pretend to be part of the family in which she grew up. No longer should she claim the accomplishments of her past and tackle the opportunities of the future as the person she had always been because that person supposedly has vanished forever.

But, of course, she hasn’t vanished. Ask anyone who has been touched by her compassionate work for those in need.

The same is true of The Upjohn Company. Legally, the company still exists as part of Pfizer. That’s what the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed when it ruled that the question has been answered before — definitively.

But beyond the legal definition is the human one.

I began my career 23 years ago, when “Upjohn” was the name on the front door. In that time, I’ve seen many employees from around the globe receive the W.E. Upjohn Award, and every one of them was deeply touched. That’s what Dr. Upjohn intended — to honor those who, in the words of nephew L.N. Upjohn, “could do things,” things that make a profound difference for our business, for our customers and for our community.

That’s what made another element of the Gazette’s editorial most disturbing — the implication that Pfizer and its outstanding employees are not part of the greater Kalamazoo community, despite all the evidence, and thus we do not uphold the legacy of Upjohn.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Perhaps our front door has had different names and different logos over the years, from purple rocks to blue ovals. But Upjohn still remains. The people inside are still the same caliber of colleagues who served Dr. Upjohn and his successors — dedicated to quality, committed to their work, determined to improve lives. And doing so as fellow citizens of the greater Kalamazoo community.

Rick Chambers is a director of External Affairs & Communications for Pfizer Inc. and a 2003 recipient of the W.E. Upjohn Award.